Despite the increased popularity of Cajun foods such as gumbo, crawfish etouffee, and boudin, relatively little is known about the history of this cuisine. Stir the Pot explores its origins, its evolution from a seventeenth-century French settlement in Nova Scotia to the explosion of Cajun food onto the American dining scene over the past few decades. The authors debunk the myths surrounding Cajun food - foremost that its staples are closely guarded relics of the Cajuns' early days in Louisiana - and explain how local dishes and culinary traditions have come to embody Cajun cuisine both at home and throughout the world. Stir the Pot also explores the role that food plays in Acadia both in everyday life and on special occasions, such as boucheries (commonal butcherings), festivals, and holidays. The book closes with a personal memoir of growing up in Cajun country and witnessing the modern evolution of the cuisine, which brings the history to life.